Arizona regulator sends cease-and-desist letter to offshore gaming company
The ADG sent the letter after finishing an investigation into two Bovada websites.
Key Points
- The investigation claims that the offshore sites are unregulated
- The ADG alleges that Bovada has violated three points of the state’s gaming law
The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) recently issued a cease-and-desist letter to Harp Media BV, a company which operates Bovada websites and is based in Curaçao.
The letter was sent following an investigation into Bovada because its sites were accessible to residents in Arizona. The regulator acted after discovering that two offshore domains, Bovada.com and Bovada.lv were “allegedly operating illegal online gaming sites.”
The ADG said in a statement, “The operation of Bovada in Arizona is alleged to be a felony criminal enterprise and Bovada has been directed to desist from any future illegal gambling operations or activities of any type in Arizona.
“Harp Media B.V. has been directed to immediately cease all online (or other) gambling operations and activities in Arizona and take the necessary steps to immediately prevent and exclude Arizona residents from gambling on their websites.”
The investigation alleged that Harp Media “is claimed to be in violation of Arizona gaming laws” in three areas that include promotion of gambling, illegal control of an enterprise and money laundering, all felonies in Arizona.
ADG Director Jackie Johnson commented, “We are actively monitoring the evolving landscape of online gaming and taking proactive steps like this helps us protect Arizona’s communities and economy from illegal activities.
“Our enforcement team is committed to preventing unauthorized operations from establishing a foothold here. Arizona will not be a safe haven for unlicensed or unlawful gaming, nor will we allow unlawful entities to compromise the integrity of gaming within our state.
Arizona has welcomed legal sports betting outside of Tribal gaming for nearly three years. The state first legalized sports wagers in April 2021 after Governor Doug Ducey signed the bill into law.
The state officially debuted its sports wagering market in September 2021.
Tags/Keywords
Players trust our reporting due to our commitment to unbiased and professional evaluations of the iGaming sector. We track hundreds of platforms and industry updates daily to ensure our news feed and leaderboards reflect the most recent market shifts. With nearly two decades of experience within iGaming, our team provides a wealth of expert knowledge. This long-standing expertise enables us to deliver thorough, reliable news and guidance to our readers.
Latest News
